[EAS] Blue Alert reply comments due Tuesday, August 29

[Sean Donelan]

On Sun, 3 Sep 2017, Clay Freinwald wrote:
> Re Sean's recent post -
>
> Perhaps it boils down to this >
>
>> The real, underlying, mission of EAS is the distribution of a Presidential
> Message to the public
>
>> It is NOT for providing State and Local government with a reliable public
> warning tool, hence the fact everything in this category is voluntary.

Executive Order 13407, June, 2006, directed DHS to prepare guidance 
replacing the "Presidential Communications with the General Public During 
Periods of National Emergency." This is essentially the basis for the 
Emergency Alert System. DHS has not issued new guidance, at least not 
publically.

IPAWS has not defined a process for distributing presidental message 
"live" streams. IPAWS works for National Periodic Tests, and brief 
messages. FEMA has not conducted a national test of the Primary Entry 
Point System since 2009, which had significant audio problems. PEP is 
still the only well-defined, but not well-tested, channel for distributing 
a presidential messages through EAS.

Wireless Emergency Alerts are voluntary. Wireless carriers are not 
required to particpate in WEA. The major wireless carriers participate to 
varying degrees. Likewise, state/local Emergency Alert System is 
voluntary. Broadcasters, cable systems, etc. participate to varying 
degrees.

Its not if a system is mandatory or voluntary, but demonstrating 
competence.